The next day I thoroughly explained to my mom why I was late and why I joined the Martial arts academy.She didn't take the matter too seriously and gave me some leniency. I wanted to go to the academy to see and observe the combat hall to gain some insight into actual martial arts. Also, I wanted to see what would Adren do now he miserably lost against me yesterday.Just as I was getting ready my phone rang. It was Dorothy. I picked up the phone and said "Hey Dorothy what's up""Hey, Danial are you free right now?"I said "Not entirely but yeah ""Okay meet me at my house right now"I asked confused" But why what happened"Dorothy said hastily " Are you coming or not "I replied quickly " Okay okay I am coming"" Thank you Danial meet you at my house "I looked at my phone with a weird expression " What a crazy ass girl"I decided I would go to the academy later on since my mom allowed some leniency in time.I went directly to Dorothy's house and rang the doorbell. Dorothy opened t
I accepted the offer because why not who knows what will happen?I decided not to go to the academy since Warren already offered a ride to the company. It was better since will help me understand the functionality of the company and improve my knowledge.The Sterling Technology was the biggest company in the southerland district and it covers the fields such as Construction, entertainment and most importantly Technology.The entry procedures went smoothly with Warren's help. I was assigned to the finance and accounting department of the company as a finance clerk. The company has a specific recruiting structure, the interns or freshers who want to join the company have to go through the standard selection process which includes interviews, skills selection and many more.If a fresher is selected to join the company he will have to work as an intern for a few months until the supervisor or the team head decides to keep him under a contract.On the other hand, if someone is recommended
Barley White bowed in front of me and said "Young man thank you for rescuing me that day without you I would not be standing here alive"I shook my head and went to Barley and said while helping him "Can we make this matter a secret I don't need everyone to know "Barley understood what I said and helped himself and said " My leg, it seems I will be having a bad week "Barley stood up and said asked Warren whose jaw was still on the floor "Warren this young man is he with you ?"Warren nodded and said "Yes he is Danial Crawford I recommend him to the company and I believe that he will greatly profit the company in the future"Barley nodded and said gratifying "Yes I believe in this young man "Warren was puzzled but he decided not to think about it. He thought "Barley White was a great businessman and he knows a person's character by just looking at him and if he says that Danial will grow it must be his instinct"Warren motioned me to leave the office as he thought it was unnecessar
I held the documents in my hand as I went to home. As I was walking I heard some movement behind me in the bush and decided to ignore it.As I kept walking I kept hearing the same sound over and over again.I thought "Is he bad at hiding or is he deliberately making does sound?"I decided to walk faster and reached home earlier than expected. For safety measures, I called Don Albert and told him to place some men near my house for a specific reason.I didn't know whether the one following me had ill intentions or not. Therefore it's better to be safe, Albert sent his men and they casually scattered around my house so it didn't raise any suspicion. I slept that night after completing the daily tasks.The next day I set off to the office and on my way, I again go followed by someone, he repeated those bush sounds as he was aware that I was aware that he was following me.I suddenly turned around and stared at the place where the sound was coming from. After a while, I said, "Come out al
I entered the academy and saw a large crowd gathered near the main hall. I thought "Why the hell is there so many people? Looks like they are here to see a fight who knows?Let me ask Pavan he should be right here."I went to look for Pavan and saw him standing there with a young lady.Pavan saw me and waved his hand " Hey Danial here come here"I nodded and went to the corner of the main hall and greeted Pavan " Hey Pavan how's your health I hope you're not having troubles from Adren" Pavan smiled and said " No Danial Adren has been quiet this whole week and even at the academy he's been avoiding talking to me and doesn't participate in any combat training in the hall. His leg and wrist injuries have been healed significantly and he's much more restrained than usual. "I felt bad for his brother, in the end, they are brothers after all, and they share the same blood but his brother showed hatred towards Pavan and he inflicted harm on Pavan his brother and he broke the family ties hi
I couldn't bear to see the student getting tortured and unknowingly surging killing intent rose in my body.The surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees. The killing intent kept surging out of my body and spread throughout the hall. Everybody started staring at me and took a few steps back.Pavan looked at me and saw a monster ready to be unleashed. The sounds of the whipping were getting louder and louder.Just then the doors of the hall blasted open, the commotion caught everyone's attention and even the Bowan stared at the entrance of the hall.A man in white clothes with a crown badge on his shoulder with 2 students followed in the hall. I noticed the auras of the student and found out they were already at Peak mid-level Mortal cultivation.The aura of the white man was heavy and majestic. Besides me, Pavan shivered and said with a sacred voice " T-thats the Master of the Sun Lion academy Master Ronald"I frowned and the killing intent in my body finally calmed down. Bo
Maria exited the academy and waited beside the road. Right then Master Ronald and his personal disciples walked to the academy.Master Ronald glanced at Maya indifferently and entered the academy. Maya didn't care about Master Ronald noticing her and waited.After a while, a Rolls Royce suddenly came up and stopped in front of Maya.Maya silently entered the car and the Rolls Royce sped away.The Rolls Royce stopped in front of a mansion in the capital city. The mansion was heavily guarded by martial artists. If Danial was present he would be shocked to the core, the martial artists guarded the places where all Advanced peak Master cultivation! There where even several Martial arts Masters hidden protecting the mansion from the dark!Maya entered the mansion and went into the courtyard where many exotic and precious plants were all over the courtyard.A man in a robe was sitting in the middle of the courtyard casually sipping tea. Maria stopped in front of the man and bowed.The robed
After the incident at the academy, I was walking home when it suddenly clicked, the assassin! I forgot about her and she followed me that day.I immediately called Don Albert and said to pick me up. Albert came in his Ferrari 488 GTB to pick me up and it attracted almost everybody's attention. I sighed and sat in his car hastily and he drove away.While in his car I said to Albert "Can you be a little low-key and not bring this car next time?"Albert said, "But Master I think this car suits you."I replied " Tell me Albert for how long did you have this car "Albert replied after thinking "It's been about 3 years since I got it at an international convention."I said, "The Ferrari 488 GTD is a rare car and you must have been using it daily for your needs am I right?"Albert nodded.I continued " Since you drive this car every day then people would immediately know that this is your car. So would one of my friends react if they saw me climb into don Albert's car?"Albert thought about
Santigo leaned back in his chair, the flickering light casting long shadows across the room. His smile stretched wider, full of mockery and malice, as his gaze shifted lazily between Danial, Pavan, and Crystal. "Took you long enough," he drawled, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "I was almost about to start another session with Kuro, but you arrived on time. Tsk tsk, what a pity."Danial’s eyes darted to Kuro, his chest tightening at the sight of his friend slumped over, bruised and barely conscious. Rage bubbled beneath his calm exterior, his fists clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He knew what "session" meant—and judging by Kuro’s state, it was far worse than he’d imagined.Gritting his teeth, Danial stepped forward, his fists clenching at his sides. “What do you want from us, Santigo?” His voice was low but edged with anger. “We’ve never crossed paths. We have nothing to do with you. So why drag Kuro into this?”Santigo waved his hand dismissively as if bru
The trio made their way through the desolate industrial district, their steps echoing faintly against the cracked asphalt and rusted pipes that sprawled across the ground. The Lapanzo Foundry loomed in the distance—a massive husk of steel and concrete, its faded name barely visible on the old factory’s rust-eaten board. Broken windows and gaping holes in the walls stared back at them like the hollow eyes of a corpse, and the air was heavy with a metallic tang mixed with an unexplainable decay that clung to their senses.There were no birds, no stray dogs, not even insects. The silence was unnatural, almost suffocating. Each breath they took felt too loud as if the factory itself might hear them.Pavan looked around, his face pale and his voice just above a whisper. "Yeah, this is the place where I’m going to die."Danial shot him a sideways glare. "No one is going to die." His voice was steady, but his jaw was clenched.Ahead, the board with “Lapanzo” scrawled in faded letters jutted
Danial sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers interlocked and his face stoic, though his mind churned with conflicting thoughts. Pavan, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, threw his arms up in frustration. "Danial!" Pavan snapped, his voice rising. "Are you even listening to me? How can you sit there so calmly when Kuro’s life is on the line? And Crystal—she’s a target too!" Danial finally looked up, his eyes sharp and cold. "Calm? Do I look calm to you, Pavan? I’m just not panicking like you are. If we lose focus now, Kuro’s as good as dead. And if Crystal gets caught in this... it’ll be worse." Pavan stopped pacing, running a hand through his hair. "Then tell me, what’s the plan? What are we doing? Because I can’t just stand here waiting for them to kill Kuro." Danial leaned back, exhaling deeply. "We can’t afford to act recklessly. Whoever this is, they’re not some common thug. They know Kuro’s strength, and they still managed to take him down. That tells me this is pers
Santigo paced around Kuro, his leather boots thudding against the cold, damp concrete floor. The dim overhead light flickered sporadically, casting ominous shadows across the room. The sharp edges of Santigo's features seemed exaggerated in the erratic glow, giving him an almost predatory appearance."Ah, cousin," Santigo drawled, his tone mockingly sweet as he circled Kuro. You look so pitifully tied up like this. I must say, it suits you—a star brought down to earth, groveling in the dirt."Kuro's wrists were bound tightly behind his back, and his legs were shackled to the chair he was forced to sit on. His clothes were torn, and his breath was ragged, but his eyes burned with a fiery defiance that refused to be extinguished.Santigo crouched down to meet Kuro’s glare, his grotesque grin widening. "Tell me, cousin," he whispered, his voice laced with venom, "how does it feel to have the tables turned for once? To be... insignificant?"Kuro’s chest heaved, his breath shallow but stead
Pavan’s hands shook uncontrollably as he processed the words he had just heard. His friend’s life was hanging by a thread, and the weight of the situation bore down heavily on him. His normally composed demeanor was in tatters, replaced by fear and anxiety.Danial, though visibly calmer, felt a storm brewing within. His sharp mind worked through the possibilities, piecing together how this could have happened. Kuro is strong, far stronger than most people realize. For someone to have captured him, this isn’t just about strength—it’s planning, manipulation… or something far worse.Pavan’s voice broke through Danial’s thoughts. “D-Danial, we can’t handle this on our own. We need to go to the authorities, to someone who can—”Danial interrupted, his tone firm but low. “We can’t.” His eyes locked onto Pavan’s. “You heard him. If we go to the authorities, Kuro’s life is the first thing he’ll take.”Pavan clenched his fists, frustration, and helplessness written all over his face. “But… wha
The emissaries from Emsgate couldn’t hide their broad smiles as Tanya descended the arena steps. Their demeanor was almost triumphant, as though Tanya’s victory over Viktor was a personal affront to Somerland. Tanya, however, walked with a quiet pride, ignoring the subtle gloating. Behind her, the terrain of the arena shifted and morphed back to its original flat state, the transformation accompanied by a low rumble.Viktor, meanwhile, trudged down the steps on the opposite side, his head hung low. The sting of defeat gnawed at him, and the weight of representing Somerland felt heavier with each step. In his heart, he felt as though he had disgraced his homeland.Waiting for him near the entrance was his master, a tall man with graying hair. The master’s sharp eyes softened as Viktor approached, clearly burdened. Placing a hand on Viktor’s shoulder, he spoke firmly yet kindly:“Viktor, just because you lost does not mean you failed to prove your worth. Your worth is measured by how ha
Elyisa put her hand into the ballot and took out two folded paper slips. She unfolded the slips with an air of authority. “Tanya from Emsgate and Viktor from Somerland,” she announced, her voice echoing throughout the stadium. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the audience as she reached into the twist and terrain ballot. Unfurling the next slip, she declared, “They will be fighting in a mountainous area. They will have to complete the fight in under four minutes, or both participants will be disqualified.”The crowd erupted in a cacophony of cheers and startled whispers.“Four minutes? Is that even enough time for a proper fight in such rugged terrain?” one spectator exclaimed.“And they’ll both be disqualified if no winner emerges? That’s brutal,” another muttered, shaking their head.The tension was palpable as Tanya, seated among the participants, felt a pang of nervousness grip her chest. Her hands balled into fists on her lap as she stared at the giant screen displaying her name
As the first rays of sunlight graced the sprawling Capital, a vibrant energy filled the air. The second day of the Tournament of Sovereign Might had arrived, and the anticipation was palpable. Crowds thronged the streets, surging toward the massive stadium like waves, eager to secure their seats. Yesterday's attendance had been monumental, but today, it seemed to have doubled. Vendors called out, selling snacks and memorabilia, while children tugged at their parents, buzzing with excitement. The tournament fever had gripped the Capital, and all eyes were on the arena.Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electric. Spectators filled the stands, the din of their chatter building into a crescendo. The VIP sections gleamed with luxury, reserved for the most influential figures in society: the Greatest Families. Clad in their signature styles, representatives from these families arrived in a display of opulence and prestige, each taking their place in the exclusive area.In the Kirk fami
Maria’s fingers gripped the arms of the chair tightly as she stared at her grandfather. Her usual composure wavered, replaced by a mix of shock and unease. It was rare for her to confront Quintan like this, but the stakes had grown too high. She needed clarity, not half-truths or vague reassurances.Quintan tapped his fingers rhythmically against the polished wood of the desk, his expression unreadable as he studied her. Finally, he leaned forward, his gray eyes sharp and piercing.“What questions do you want to ask, Maria?” he asked, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of weariness.Maria didn’t hesitate. She had been holding this in since the mission’s disastrous conclusion. “Grandfather, I want to know what’s going on with the Demonic Cult. Why are we conducting reconnaissance missions on them instead of mobilizing the Gods of War? They would annihilate the cult without a second thought. Why hold back? What is the status of Rowan and Lysandra? And what about Nina?" Her fis